Why Don’t You Meet Me In the Middle?

By Bill Carroll

The 2027 NFL Draft center class has so many prospects who have NFL traits that I had to write two parts to this article. This is not only a deep group, but they are also experienced and talented.

Tier 3: Developmental Depth With Rotational Potential

14. Matt Craycraft | Duke

Projection: Round 5
Best Fit: Pro-style / zone / developmental interior role
Player Type: Assignment-sound developmental center

Craycraft is experienced, smart, and consistent. He is not the flashiest name in the class, but his football IQ and assignment discipline make him an intriguing developmental center. He is the kind of player who may impress coaches during meetings, walk-throughs, and protection installs. The more complex the system, the more his intelligence could matter.

Strengths

• Assignment sound
• Experienced blocker
• Good football IQ
• Consistent technique
• Developmental center traits

Concern: Needs to prove he has NFL-level power and athletic ceiling.

15. Alani Noa | USC

Projection: Round 5
Best Fit: Wide zone / pass-heavy spread offense
Player Type: Guard-to-center projection

Noa has guard experience and the body type to transition inside as a center candidate. His value comes from versatility and movement skills.

He needs live center reps, but the athletic foundation and pass-game experience make him a worthwhile developmental option.

Strengths

• Guard experience
• Good movement skills
• Pass-protection foundation
• Interior flexibility
• Center projection upside

Concern: Needs more center-specific work with snaps, calls, and protection adjustments.

16. John Bock II | Tulane

Projection: Round 5-6
Best Fit: Gap / inside zone / physical run-game offense
Player Type: Tough center/guard depth piece

Bock brings transfer experience, toughness, and center/guard flexibility. He is physical enough to compete inside and experienced enough to handle multiple interior roles.

His path to the league may begin as practice squad depth, but his versatility gives him a chance to stick.

Strengths

• Center/guard flexibility
• Physical temperament
• Transfer experience
• Interior toughness
• Developmental starter tools

Concern: Needs to show his power and technique translate against better athletes.

17. Brady Small | Army

Projection: Round 5-6
Best Fit: Gap/option / downhill run game
Player Type: Compact leverage enforcer

Small remains one of the most interesting center prospects in the class. He has elite consistency, raw strength, durability, and leadership. His compact frame allows him to win the leverage battle, and his play style is relentless.

He lacks prototype height and length, but his toughness and center-specific reliability give him a realistic NFL path.

Strengths

• Outstanding durability
• Low center of gravity
• Raw strength
• Relentless motor
• Natural line leader

Concern: Shorter frame and limited length may reduce his radius against long NFL defensive tackles.

18. Evan Tengesdahl | Cincinnati

Projection: Round 5-6
Best Fit: Gap / inside zone / developmental interior role
Player Type: Productive power interior

Tengesdahl has starter traits, especially as a run blocker, but his NFL position needs more definition. He could be a guard, center, or swing interior candidate depending on scheme fit.

If he proves he can handle protection calls and interior quickness, he could outplay this tier.

Strengths

• Functional power
• Interior versatility
• Good run-blocking profile
• Competitive finish
• Developmental starter traits

Concern: Center projection still needs more confirmation.

Tier 4: Developmental Dart Throws With Higher-Risk Projections

These players have intriguing traits, but the NFL projection is less settled. Some need a position change, better role definition, added weight, more center reps, or a major technical jump.

19. Jake Maikkula | Oklahoma

Projection: Round 6-7
Best Fit: Guard-center developmental cross-train
Player Type: Talented interior projection

The Stanford transfer has enough athletic ability and program pedigree to remain on the board; he has center and left guard experience but is still developing. He may ultimately be more guard than center.

Strengths

• Athletic tools
• High-level program experience
• Interior versatility
• Developmental starter upside
• Strong frame

Concern: Role clarity.

20. Joe Otting* | Notre Dame

Projection: Round 6
Best Fit: Gap / pro-style / developmental swing interior
Player Type: Physical interior convert

Otting has the kind of size and physicality NFL teams will want to cross-train. Notre Dame offensive linemen are always going to get attention, and he has enough traits to remain on the developmental board.

Strengths

• Size
• Physicality
• Developmental upside
• Strong program pedigree
• Interior flexibility

Concern: Needs to prove he can function as an NFL-level athlete at center.

21. Nathan Efobi | Michigan

Projection: Round 6
Best Fit: Developmental power scheme
Player Type: Interior traits prospect

Efobi brings size, program background, and developmental tools. He is not yet a clean center projection, but his physical profile makes him worth monitoring.

Strengths

• Power-program background
• Interior size
• Developmental upside
• Guard/center projection
• Physical tools

Concern: Needs clearer center tape.

22. Griffin Empey | North Dakota State

Projection: Round 6-7
Best Fit: Wide zone/movement / screen-heavy offense
Player Type: Movement-based center conversion

Empey has played right guard, but the movement traits make him an intriguing center projection. There are flashes of the kind of quickness and competitive temperament that make undersized or nontraditional centers worth developing.

Strengths

• Movement skills
• Competitive temperament
• Guard experience
• Center projection upside
• Space-blocking ability

Concern: Needs to prove he can snap, command protections, and handle NFL power.

23. Coleton Price | Kentucky

Projection: Round 6-7
Best Fit: Power scheme / developmental guard-center cross-train
Player Type: Transferred to Kentucky after three seasons at Baylor and has played in 32 career games with 30 starting assignments at center.

Heard is a finished center prospect. If he can refine his game and improve his leverage, he could become a useful interior developmental piece.

Strengths

• Size
• Power potential
• Positional flexibility
• Developmental ceiling
• Physical upside

Concern: Needs a longer runway and clearer role.

24. Shadre Hurst | Houston

Projection: Round 7 / Priority Free Agent
Best Fit: Developmental interior reserve
Player Type: Watch-list blocker

Hurst remains a developmental watch-list name. He has enough interior traits to track, but he needs stronger tape and a more defined NFL role to climb.

Strengths

• Interior size
• Developmental tools
• Watch-list value
• Potential guard/center depth
• Late-round upside

Concern: Needs more high-end tape.

25. Carter Smith | Michigan

Projection: Round 6-7 as IOL projection
Best Fit: Athletic interior conversion
Player Type: Tackle-to-interior projection

Smith is more of a projection piece than a true center right now. The athletic tools are appealing, but the center path is speculative. If he moves inside and handles leverage, hand timing, and protection communication, he could rise. For now, he belongs in the developmental upside tier.

Strengths

• Athletic upside
• Conversion potential
• Length and movement
• High ceiling
• Multi-position value

Concern: Center projection is still speculative.

26. Erik Gray | Stephen F. Austin

Projection: Priority Free Agent to Round 7
Best Fit: Wide zone / outside zone / developmental practice squad
Player Type: Undersized movement savant

Gray is one of the more athletic developmental centers in the class, but size is the question. If he can get into the 290-pound range without losing his movement ability, he becomes much more interesting.

Strengths

• Excellent movement ability
• Natural space blocker
• Quick feet
• Developmental center traits
• Athletic ceiling

Concern: Size and anchor are major projection questions.

Early 2027 Center Class Board

Top Immediate Starter Projections

1. Kade Pieper, Iowa
2. Drew Bobo, Georgia
3. Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
4. Greg Johnson, Minnesota
5. Ben Rios, UTSA
6. Ashton Beers, Minnesota

Best Quality Depth With Starter Potential

1. Joshua Bates, SMU
2. Jake Guarnera, Michigan
3. Sheridan Wilson, Texas Tech
4. Carson Hinzman, Ohio State
5. Brandon Best, East Carolina
6. A.C. McMoore, NC Central

Top Depth Centers With Starter Traits

1. Cole Best, South Florida
2. Justin Evans, Nebraska
3. Braelin Moore, LSU
4. Matt Craycraft, Duke
5. Alani Noa, USC
6. John Bock II, Tulane
7. Brady Small, Army
8. Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati

Best Developmental Dart Throws

1. Nathan Efobi, Michigan
2. Sullivan Absher, Notre Dame
3. Lance Heard, Kentucky
4. Griffin Empey, North Dakota State
5. Luke Montgomery, Ohio State
6. Shadre Hurst, Houston
7. A.C. McMoore, NC Central
8. Erik Gray, Stephen F. Austin

Trait Board

Best Movement Centers

1. Kade Pieper, Iowa
2. Drew Bobo, Georgia
3. Griffin Empey, North Dakota State
4. Erik Gray, Stephen F. Austin
5. Braelin Moore, LSU
6. Carson Hinzman, Ohio State

Top Power / Anchor Profiles

1. Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
2. Greg Johnson, Minnesota
3. Brandon Best, East Carolina
4. Brady Small, Army
5. Justin Evans, Nebraska

Best Pass Protectors

1. Drew Bobo, Georgia
2. Ben Rios, UTSA
3. Joshua Bates, SMU
4. Carson Hinzman, Ohio State
5. Sheridan Wilson, Texas Tech
6. Jimmy Liston, Utah State

Top “Quarterback of the Offensive Line” Traits

1. Drew Bobo, Georgia
2. Kade Pieper, Iowa
3. Joshua Bates, SMU
4. Brady Small, Army
5. Matt Craycraft, Duke

Best Guard-to-Center Projections

1. Greg Johnson, Minnesota
2. Ben Rios, UTSA
3. Alani Noa, USC
4. Cole Best, South Florida
5. Brandon Best, East Carolina
6. Jimmy Liston, Utah State
7. Nick Fattig, Stanford

Closing Thought

The 2027 center class has a strong top and a healthier middle tier than it originally appeared. Pieper, Laloulu, Johnson, and Bobo headline the class as immediate NFL starter projections. Bates, Guarnera, Wilson, Hinzman, Brandon Best, and Rios give the second tier real quality depth with starter potential. The third tier is loaded with developmental players who have enough traits to eventually become more than backups, especially Cole Best, Evans, Moore, Craycraft, Noa, Bock, Small, and Tengesdahl.

The fourth tier is where the scouting gets fun. Efobi, Absher, Heard, Empey, Gray, Montgomery, Hurst, and Smith are not clean projections yet, but each brings enough physical or athletic intrigue to keep on the board. In other words, if NFL teams are looking to meet offensive line value in the middle, the 2027 center class gives them plenty of places to start.